The field of this invention relates to clamps and more particularly to a new and novel boltless clamp for a battery terminal post.
The use of batteries to produce electrical power has long been known. Although batteries take numerous shapes, a common shape is a box-like housing which is composed of a plurality of cells connected together and having a positive and negative electrical connection on the upper surface of the battery housing. These positive and negative electrical connections are frequently termed "terminal posts". These types of batteries are generally rechargeable. Such batteries are frequently used in automobiles, trucks, earth moving equipment and other types of vehicles. Also, such types of batteries are used in stationary equipment such as generators and the like.
It is necessary to connect an electrical conductor to each terminal post of the battery. The most commonly used type of connection comprises an encircling clamp which is snugly mounted over a terminal post. This clamp is electrically connected to an electrical conductor which is to be usable to conduct electricity to electrically operated equipment. The clamp normally includes a bolt fastener assembly which is to be separately tightened for securing the clamp in position about the terminal post.
If it is necessary to replace the battery, these bolt fasteners must be loosened to permit disengagement of the clamps from each of the terminal posts of the battery. Also, it is generally advisable as normal maintenance procedure to periodically remove the clamps to clean both the clamps and the posts to avoid buildup of a corrosive layer which prevents the conducting of electricity from the terminal posts into the electrical conductor. At times this maintenance procedure needs to be performed at inconvenient locations such as alongside a roadway or at night. At such an inconvenient location, the individual may not readily have in his possesion the necessary tools to loosen the bolt so that the clamp can be removed for the maintenance procedure. Also, at times the replacement of a battery needs to be accomplished at, again, an inconvenient location and the individual doing the replacement may not have the tools necessary to remove the clamps.
There has long been a need to improve the battery clamp which would permit the battery clamp to be attached and detached from a battery terminal post without using any type of separate fasteners such as a bolt or screw.